Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Combine all of this year's Best Actress Nominees into one woman and you've got a 5'7" American beauty (maybe she's a wiz at a British accent?) who is about to turn the big "4-0". She's involved in some sort of sketchy situation involving a young boy of indeterminate age --either he's dead, abused, missing, resentful or she's sleeping with him! Maybe more than one of those things. The trouble this composite actress gets into! Such a Drama Queen.

Hand her an Oscar.

That Academy will arguably choose only between SAG winner Meryl Streep in Doubt and Double Globe Girl Kate Winslet in The Reader. But you can choose between all five in the new Best Actress Poll. It's not a prediction, it's your preference. You'll also find statistics and 'how'd they get nominated?' conjecture, there.

For the other three the pressure is probably off. They just have to look good @ the Kodak. Melissa Leo cleans up really well from her screen self -- a dirt poor trailer park girl with a dream (that sounds soooo familiar in the context of the Oscars. Who could I possibly be thinking of?) . In the fictional narratives that we favor here in the Red Carpet Lineup series, it looks like Anne Hathaway and Angelina Jolie are BFFs now... they made up after that unfortunate death glare situation @ the BFCAs. Oscar dreams no longer divide them.

Nat, I love Anne Hathaway but there's no way her performance is better than Kate in The Reader. Hanna Schmitz is an undlessly complicated character, and Kate effortlessly conveys this complexity. Anne was great, but sometimes it was just too ... I can't find a word, but it's just not a disappearing act the way Kate manages to achieve. Hand Kate the gold medal!!! Come oooooon.

I actually think the Academy did a decent job with this group of nominees. It's not a perfect group, with Jolie over Hawkins the clear boneaded, low-taste choice, but surely they deserve credit for a solid 4 out of 5 in this case.

This poll makes me angry. I want to vote for Winslet but I will feel guilty because I haven't seen the other nominees. And I don't mind seeing Doubt or RGM but Changeling?? Another problem is that Frozen River will probably never hit the Greek theaters.

Mariposa, I wouldn't like Nate being influenced by other people's opinions. I care about what he thinks and not what we think expressed via him. I like it that he loves Kate but if he thinks Hathaway gave a better perf this year, then that's where he should give the gold medal.

Although I'm afraid the gold and silver will go to Hathaway and Hawkins (respectively or not) and Kate will probably get the bronze. (If Leo doesn't get it)

I've only seen Changeling and Rachel getting Married, and Anne does a way better job than Angelina. Besides, she has Brad, she needs no awards.I hope to see Frozen River before Oscar night but I'm not sure it'll get to Spain.And about Streep and Winslet, well... they're Streep and Winslet.

Nathaniel, i know who you're thinking of, but for some reason i can't remember them....something along the lines of Tank or Sank or...well you get my drift.

But is no one just a little bit peeved that Leo (performance aside) prevented this from being one of the most high profile best actress catergories in years.(Well that's if you forget the Mirren/Dench/Streep/Winslet/Cruz lineup) If Blanchett was in Leo's place that would make for quite a memeborable lineup too.

michael c -- i agree. The academy going 4/5 in any category with really fine choices is something to celebrate. because it's often 2/5 or less (see Best Picture)

voncastle i love your reasoning -- but are any of them adverbs? Jolie?

catherine for realz. I think it's because if you're Streep you get to pick and choose your films and you can survive between them on millions and millions of dollars... if you're not a household name, you take what you can get.

(although if you count voicework, i think Streep has more films -since she does that, too, inbetween her lead roles)

john i am not AT ALL peeved that Leo is in there. I don't need 5 megastars in each race. I need 5 great performances (superstars optional... and 4 is enough of them for happily gawking ;)

billybil i'm thrilled that you have so much love to go round but don't expect me to provide wedding gifts each time. Don't even think of registering again!

Does anyone remember the movie Snow Angels? Saw it on DVD yesterday, and I think if it had come out later in the year, Kate Beckinsale might garner a nom. I think it really is a breakthrough performance (hathaway can already show that she can act in Brokeback). The movie is only so-so, but she's amazing and grief-stricken and real in the movie. Also, the young guy (he's from Will and Grace) is also superb, and also very tasty:)

Kate should win her first Oscar. If she does, it wouldn't be because it's her turn. It would be simply because hers was the best performance this year (both of them were). The film may not have the best reviews, but her performance is unanimously praised. The Academy would start to redeem itself in my eyes if Winslet won this year!

I'll be rooting for Anne Hathaway to win the Oscar. It was the kind of performance that I've been waiting to see from her for years now, and I knew that she was capable of giving it. Meryl was a bit too much to take in "Doubt", but I won't begrudge her that elusive third Oscar win if she manages it. Kate Winslet winning for one of her worst performances and films is depressing, but that looks like how things will transpire next month. And reading the who got snubbed part of the best actress page just made Sally Hawkins' horrible snub come flooding back all over again. Meh.

OR ALL FIVE?! I smell a 2010 Kaufman vehicle! Out of the nominees, I actually like Hathaway the most, surprisingly. If I stare hard enough, Streep disappears and Hawkins takes her place. What an unhappy-go-lucky lineup it is without her =(

one of winslets worst performances are we having a joke here,have you see nall the kings men,the holiday or the life of david gale she is not bad but if you are looking for a below par kate look there although she did commit to the holidays gloss totally and was good in her part,she seemed miscast in david gale and all the kings men blah!!!

With all due respect to Nate, the Academy is smart enough to realize that Streep has lost the Oscar 10 times in a row. Winslet has lost the Oscar 5 times in a row. The obvious Oscar choice -- Meryl Streep...